Struggling Huntsman Campaign Moves Headquarters to New Hampshire

Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman is moving his presidential campaign headquarters to New Hampshire from Florida, his campaign announced, signaling the candidate’s growing dependence on a victory next year in the first primary state.

Huntsman campaign has lagged at the back of the GOP pack in the polls and in fundraising, making it difficult for it to sustain a strategy of campaigning in three states: New Hampshire, Florida and South Carolina. In a statement, the campaign said it would retain offices in the two latter states, but that the Florida office will move from Orlando to Miami.

A campaign aide said Friday that some of the Florida staff will be laid off. Overall management will remain the same, with Matt David as campaign manager and John Weaver as top strategist.

In recent weeks, Huntsman, the former governor of Utah and President Obama’s ambassador to China, has focused his efforts on New Hampshire. Campaign Manager Matt David said, “As evidence by recent polling, Jon Huntsman support with New Hampshire voters continues to grow every day, and this move will ensure that we have the resources necessary to win the first-in-the-national primary.”